Introducing … Flowers and pollina.on
Why do you think plants have flowers?
2 photo: DonBradshaw
Names of flower parts
3 photo: Felicity Bradshaw
4
ovule
Why do plants have flowers? Flowers make seeds
single banksia flower
5
This flowering spike on a banksia has about 2000 flowers.
photo: Felicity Bradshaw
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How do flowers make seeds?
Pollen travels from the stamen of one flower to the style of another flower.
It then burrows down the style to the ovule.
Pollen and ovule join and grow into a seed.
photo: Felicity Bradshaw
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The flowers start to die.
Seeds grow inside a woody seed case, called a follicle.
Follicles are protected in a hard, woody fruit, called a nut.
When seeds are fully grown, the follicles open and seeds fall to the ground.
photo: Alex George
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life cycle of banksia (piara)
photos: Alex George
How does pollen get from one flower to another?
9 photo: Felicity Bradshaw
What carries pollen between banksia flowers?
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honey possum
photo: Stephen Hopper
What carries pollen between gum tree flowers?
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bees and wasps
photo: DonBradshaw
What carries pollen between grass tree flowers?
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ants
photo: Felicity Bradshaw
What carries pollen between grevillea flowers?
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birds (brown honeyeater)
photo: Chris Tarrant (www.aviceda.org)
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Flowers have their own pollinators
gum tree grass tree banksia grevillea
Pollen images: Lynne Milne
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Be a Bush Scien.st 3: Introducing flowers and pollina.on For condi^ons of use see spice.wa.edu.au/usage
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